Stoopid Goodwill! (A Rant) [Archive] - Page 3

Ye0ldmario

10-06-2009, 06:02 PM

Game Freak

10-06-2009, 06:08 PM

All i can really find at the goodwill and salvation armies nowadays are vinyl's for a buck a piece, music cd's for 1.99 and vhs tapes and DOS games. Sometimes if I see an album of a band i know i'll grab it. I mean its a dollar, whats so harsh about that? Usually they're 79 cents to a buck, which is honestly not a bad price. I myself buy records and CD's so I can listen to them, not because they're rare and worth money. I usually go after 80's stuff although I will pick up some 70's/classic stuff if I know the artist/band.

Only VHS tapes that are worth real money and not pocket change are OOP (out-of-print) movies that aren't on DVD and probably never will be because the companies that released them are long gone. Obscure 80's slasher movies that aren't on DVD yet that only had limited copies made on vhs.

They have sales at mine sometimes where the records are 13 cents each, I used to buy small piles but some of them are so old and dusty they're not worth buying.

Same, although CDs and VHS and games are a dollar here. I haven't seen any cartridges at my local thrift store in a couple of months (aside from a Pico game and a few sports genesis games Ive left there for quite a while.) I buy VHSes if I know the title and don't have it. I'm pretty close to having every official Disney Canon film. I also buy vinyls, but I have gotten tired of going through them all each week. Uusually if there's nothing new on top. I dont go through the three big boxes there.

My store also has a bunch of PC joysticks and misc electroic items.

Ye0ldmario

10-06-2009, 06:17 PM

Once I was in there and some old guy was asking the electronics worker if they had any beatles or rolling stones albums mixed in and they never answered him. I love flipping through them though and out of the blue you find one of your favorites artists with a mint jacket and everything. A buck is nothing to scoff at. Look up some of well-known artists on vinyl on amazon and see how much some of them are selling for. It's supply and demand. Look for out of print/obscure stuff.

tubeway

12-31-2009, 05:21 AM

I guess something to add to Goodwill ranting is the trend at a local Goodwill near me. They've started pricing games with bigger cases higher than games with small cases. Sega CD titles were $9.99, whereas PS1 games in single disc jewelcases were $3.99. Sigh.

DigitalSpace

08-02-2010, 11:13 AM

I've gotta rant about the fail I saw at a Value Village yesterday.

First off, I saw stacks of NES, N64, and PS1 games in their display case - most priced at $6.99. There was only one game in there that I could see someone buying at that price: Mega Man 2. There were some PS2 and original Xbox sports games priced at $9.99.

But the biggest fail: I saw a copy of Zelda: Spirit Tracks... with the game missing. Some idiot put it on a shelf with the CDs instead of in the display case. And this isn't a store where they let you carry something around after taking it out of the case. There are several older sports games collecting dust in the case and yet something that's actually a high-theft item WASN'T IN THERE.

/me facepalms

So yeah, I really only bother with Value Village because...
-it's right up the street
-those $6.99 games will eventually be half-off
-Sometimes they have MST3K tapes
-Monday 99-cent tags

Zapf

08-02-2010, 12:16 PM

There is a lot of goodwills in Lexington/Nicholasville for some reason (I pass 4 on the way to school, and there is at least one more in a different direction). I try to stop by them on mondays as I have time available then before class. I don't think I've ever seen one go by the listed price on their wall though for games until last week though, I was able to get a decent Super C cartridge for 2.50. Most stuff is 3.50 and up.
The one time I've been in the out of my way goodwill, all i found was a bunch of common atari carts at 4.50, behind the counter tucked into a little shelf (not even a glass case where people can see - its like they don't want anyone to actually buy them!). Another one had a 4 switch w/ 50 games for $50, which I guess isn't completely outrageous but not really the kind of deal I was expecting from a store where I buy my ironic graphic t-shirts for $2.

I did get a working nes for 8.50 though.

Casati

08-02-2010, 05:52 PM

Goodwill, the good: I've found alot of fantasy paperbacks for $1 each, and a few games like Avalon Hill Shogun for a couple bucks each. The bad: scratched up PS2 Maddens, Golf, computer game CDs etc. marked at Goodwill's price for video games which is now about $4-5 each. Their hardback books are marked $2-8 and poor condition paperbacks marked $1 each. A Playstation, two controllers and memory card for $35.

The ugly: the local used bookstore owner cherrypicking a thrift store's books. And at another thrift store, the clerk told me he could get some hookups and controllers for my NES, so when I came over to get them, they were marked $25 for the bag containing two used NES basic controllers, an RF switch and power supply. No thanks, I wound up getting them on Ebay much cheaper and in better condition.

Probably most of the good stuff goes to younger thrift store employees who play video games, and what's placed out on the shelves is just scraps. It's also apparent that Goodwill often research their prices on Ebay, but often assign prices higher than their worth given their condition. When I donate goods, I drop them off at the local senior citizen thrift store that charges less than a quarter for paperbacks, fifty cents to a buck for boardgames and a dollar for CDs. I don't want Goodwill to price gouge people on my donated stuff.

ryborg

08-02-2010, 06:40 PM

Oh cool, this thread's back.

The GW by me has been kicking dick recently, which is nice for a change, but they still have obscene prices on random stuff. For example, I got a brand new Adrian Gonzalez Padres jersey for $2, while they had a used Rex Grossman Bears jersey behind the counter for $25. They've had this old DOS version of Risk behind the counter for literally years now at $8, but then they'll get in XBOX 360 games for $3 each. They lowered prices on books to $.50/.25 for hardcover/softcover, which is amazing, since they always have a great selection of new books somehow.

DigitalSpace

08-04-2010, 08:43 AM

Just remembered something I saw at a Goodwill last month. Prices were pretty reasonable... with the exception of five original Xboxes stacked up in the electronics section at $49.99 each.

nhm

08-04-2010, 11:14 AM

The BEST place to find ultra-cheap stuff is at Goodwill Outlet stores. I picked up a complete Colecovision with Module 1 (2600 adapter) and Roller Controller for $8. Almost everything is paid for by the pound at $1.35 per pound. You can get price checks on heavier items like old electronics. Even the things they do price out are reasonably cheap. I picked up Final Fantasy for the NES for $2.

Ryaan1234

08-04-2010, 01:21 PM

jb143

08-04-2010, 01:48 PM

A goodwill near me has had a boxed Genesis in their display case for over a month now. A note taped to the front of the box says "Game not included". They are asking 70 bucks for it.

emceelokey

08-04-2010, 01:55 PM

A goodwill near me has had a boxed Genesis in their display case for over a month now. A note taped to the front of the box says "Game not included". They are asking 70 bucks for it.

$70 and the game's NOT included. Screw that!

phreakindee

08-06-2010, 03:59 PM

I'm pretty pissed at the local Goodwill right about now. I usually stop by there on my way home from work, because they're usually quite fair. I've noticed in the past few months that they've had less and less "good" stuff on offer. I mostly look for retro gaming and computer stuff.

I found a great little computer there today, but it had no price. It was from the late 80's, 5.25" floppy drives the whole deal. I took it up front to ask how much it was and the lady said she had to take it to the manager. The dude finally comes back and says he won't sell me the machine. It should have never left the back room.

After going back and forth not getting any straight answers, he finally said that it's going to be sent to be DESTROYED at Dell. Freaking DELL. It's called Dell/Goodwill Reconnect, and it's some kind of recycling program. He said anything looking older than 5 years gets sent to them and then "taken care of", whether it means parting out, destroying (melting down), landfilling, etc. That is completely retarded.

Why not let people have a chance on these things, THEN if they don't sell, recycle them?

Instead, they get more cash from Dell, Dell gets some "good press" and a little something on the side, and Goodwill continues selling Dell-only refurbed newer computers for $125 for just a tower. It pisses me off. Apparently they also just throw away all floppy disks and many hard drives, due to... who knows what, in the name of "privacy" perhaps. Yet I still find them randomly, I guess when they "slip through" like the computer today. I should have just placed or wrote a price on it and been done with it. Punks.

emceelokey

08-06-2010, 05:21 PM

Now that I think about it. I've never seen any PC game or software unless it has at least an actual box for it.

I don't know if it's the same way through out the whole company but here in Vegas at least, there's usually a price written in permanent marker on the bottom or back of something with the color price tage for the typr of item it is. For example, I believe electronics have yellow tags so if let's say a SNES was going for $15, on the bottom of the SNES "Y-15" would be written on it somewhere so that they know the price even if someone tried to switch price tags on it.

MissingNo_1231

08-06-2010, 06:17 PM

Goodwills around here in Metro Atlanta are hit or miss. Sometimes you get awesome deals, like FFIX for around $2, and complete Criterion DVDs for only $5 (I love movies too). And sometimes they are plain crazy.

I was gonna buy a Tekken 5 arcade joystick for PS2 for $6, but the cashier lady said it was mislabeled (the sticker said "Lamp") and they refused to sell it to me. A week or two later it was behind the counter for $30. My dad pulled some strings for me and got it a bit cheaper, but that really pissed me off.

Then, at the same location, they had 3 Sega Dreamcasts. If I remember correctly, the one in the case had 1 controller, cables, no game, and was $10. Then, in the back of the store, there was one with no cables controllers or anything, for $5, and one with no cables but 2 controllers for $15. I just took out one of the VMUs and bought that.

And lately they've decided a lot of times to just pack all the games for a particular system together and sell them like that. Sure, half the time you end up with doubles, but who cares. Or, when they pack a bunch of original Xbox games together and charge a grand total that would be more than Gamestop (back when Gamestop sold Xbox games), and one of said games happened to be an empty case. I know this because it was in the DVD section last week, and that's why I didn't buy it.

Man, I better stop, I could go on forever

ReTrO-pLaYeR

08-06-2010, 08:21 PM

My Goodwill is usually fair on prices (although I laughed at the 4 bucks they wanted for loose, possibly non-functioning copy of Super Mario Bros.), but the sad fact is that they NEVER have anything whatsoever. In about 5 years of shopping there, this is all the video-gaming related stuff I've found...

*Super Godzilla SNES/ loose
*SMB NES/ loose
*Batman NES/ loose
*Frogger PSX/ CIB
*Activision Classics PSX/ CIB
*Overpriced factory sealed Mario Party Advance (20 dollars lololololol)
*Overpriced Genesis w/ one CIB game
*CIB Sonic The Hedgehog
*Five dozen shitty sports games

Right next to the Goodwill, there's this little hole in the wall called Value Village. They overprice up the ass- sold me a broken (although the cartridge itself was in pristine condition) Burgertime NES game for 5 bucks and refused to give me a refund after I tested it. They also had a bare-bones N64 (with only the electrical cord, just so ya know it works) for 15 dollars. When I had asked about half off day (because I may have been able to get the REAL price it should be selling for), the bitch I was talking to immediately shoved the shit into a cabinet where nobody could see it.

Now, there's this really nice antiques/ collectibles shop called "Treasure Chest" that always seems to have something cool when I come in. I bought an N64 with all the hookups, plus about 15 games (All working- includes some of the in demand cartridges like SM64 Zelda and Banjo. Only a few shitty sports games) for 20 dollars. Only thing missing was a memory card (thankfully most games have a battery-backed up memory) and the expansion pak. The lady running the shop is very nice, and doesn't have the prices set in stone. I'm just sad since the store is always overfilled- so much that it's hard to even get through the door without knocking some antique pottery over. It's the only place around (besides a Game Trader, which is about a 10 mile drive away from where I live) that charges decent prices for their stuff.

Voliko

08-06-2010, 11:56 PM

Aussie2B

08-07-2010, 12:40 AM

You guys would be surprised at how many people are still technological dinosaurs and buy stuff that seems like obsolete, worthless junk. I'm not talking cool old games or computers; I mean people who still happily buy VHS, even when they could probably get the same movie on DVD for the same price. Like those Disney movies with the higher prices at Goodwills, my mom actually seeks those out for my niece. I've seen her pay 3, 4 bucks for them a piece at yard sales. I have to just bite my tongue because I know there's no explaining that it's a waste of money to her, or to my brother for that matter, and he's only in his 30s (so you'd think he'd be more tech savvy). The irony is that my family probably won't switch over to DVD until Blue-ray has completely taken over, rendering DVDs just as obsolete as VHS is now.

Anyway, I'd say Goodwill lives up to its name. I've gotten a lot of good finds, but nothing that's especially great. Like Ryaan, probably my best is The Neverhood in its jewel case, which I too bought not knowing its value. I had read about it before, though, and thought it might be worth something. I lucked out with that one, and that got me going on buying PC games, just because that's often all I can find. Yes, I buy them just to flip since I'm not interested in PC games, but it's better than leaving empty-handed and gives me something to be excited about. I've bought a lot of PC games from Goodwill that I sold for marginal amounts, usually 20-30 dollars, since if it's worth less than that, I don't think it's really worth my time and effort to flip. For my own collection, probably my best find was a $10 Master System. It's not a particularly valuable system, I know, but I was happy about it. Beyond that, it's just the occasional worthwhile game, game-related goods, or movie soundtrack. Nothing with enough wow factor to be worth naming, but nothing to complain about either. I've done much better with other thrift stores, but Goodwill is still worth a visit.

rokubungi

08-07-2010, 01:19 AM

This last Monday (August 2nd) I went to 7 different thrift stores I think it was 2 Goodwills 3 salvation army and 2 others (bibles for china and something else. )
how many cartridge based games were there? 1 sonic 2 in the glass case for $14.99 there were a few other games like hockey 2k2 for dreamcast but JUST the disk

though a bit further away at the Disabled American veterans thrift(25 miles into the northern part of Memphis) last week I did find a complete Streets of rage 2 for $1.99 but I spent more on gas getting there

ganondorf

08-07-2010, 03:32 AM

I was looking for a job back in feb. and found a cib gameboy pocket at goodwill for a few bucks and figured I should apply there.

I did and got a job. bad idea.

The managers insisted that games such as mario/duckhunt be priced in the $6.99-$9.99 range, saying they were collectors items so people would buy them. when they'd sit on the shelves for months, they'd get thrown in the compacter. a box of SNES games was once tossed because it had writing on the games, and once one of the managers insisted and successfully tossed an SNES box because she thought it was useles.

We also once got a load of xbox games in, so i'm going through the games pricing the good games $6.99 and the other ones $5, and I got yelled at for pricing mortal kombat: armageddon only $5 because according to the manager "its a great game". The manager didn't know what halo or half-life was, those ended up being priced 4.99. MKA ended up being marked up by her to 12.99.

Then again, an NES and N64 Box (only the box) came in once and I priced them 50 cents each and got them the next day...almost got fired for that.

You can find some great movies for really cheap there on vhs though...i got every friday the 13th up until 8, alot of out of print slashers on vhs, and all of the freddies' nightmares vhs's for 50 cents each...oh, and a 16 vhs set of peewees playhouse.

I recently quit for other reasons, but at least my goodwill was ridiculous with most games.

darkslime

08-07-2010, 04:10 AM

I love Goodwill. They sold me Suikoden II for $2.99 last week. :D

mobiusclimber

08-07-2010, 12:17 PM

I love Goodwill. They sold me Suikoden II for $2.99 last week. :D

LOL I've never gotten anything even close to that at a Goodwill. In fact, Goodwill has always been my least favorite thrift until recently...

Recently Value Village has increased their prices steadily and now rival Ebay. In many cases even worse. And not just video games. Certain t-shirts (and a lot of them) are now being priced at $7! Any shirt with anything cool on it (a band, an anime, whatever) is $7. I don't even like going in there and looking around anymore b/c I always leave empty-handed and angry.

Gameguy

08-07-2010, 03:03 PM

The Value Village near me is actually starting to price DVDs cheaper now, they used to start at $4.99, now several are $2.99. Plenty of times I would see used DVDs priced $4.99 when they're in the Wal-Mart bargin bin for $5 new. The Salvation Army next door has been charging $2.99 for DVDs for a long time already, I'm kind of surprised it took Value Village so long to cut their prices.

The PC games have started to be priced higher in Value Village, they used to be $2.99 and now they're $4.99-$5.99. I still find the odd thing to buy, but I mostly leave empty handed. 5 years ago it was a great place to find stuff.

mobiusclimber

08-07-2010, 03:53 PM

Yeah, I used to find tons of things at good prices. This is where I got my 3DO at. I also have gotten PSO I+II for the GC, and just a variety of NES carts and other stuff... But lately it's been getting worse and worse. They haven't even had anything for me to look at and go "well I'd buy this if it wasn't so expensive." Mostly it's just "there's nothing but junk and all of it's overpriced."

GM80

08-08-2010, 05:56 PM

I've had one recent good experience at Goodwill near me. Since the DTV/ATSC broadcast switchover, all their old NTSC TVs are drastically on sale ... perfect for some classic console gaming. I picked up a flawless vintage Sony Trinitron in a faux woodgrain cabinet for $4. Can't beat that.

MissingNo_1231

08-17-2010, 11:40 AM

After going back and forth not getting any straight answers, he finally said that it's going to be sent to be DESTROYED at Dell. Freaking DELL. It's called Dell/Goodwill Reconnect, and it's some kind of recycling program. He said anything looking older than 5 years gets sent to them and then "taken care of", whether it means parting out, destroying (melting down), landfilling, etc. That is completely retarded.

Why not let people have a chance on these things, THEN if they don't sell, recycle them?

I seem to recall hearing about this a while back (maybe on your YouTube page?)

It got me thinking. There's a Goodwill close to me that I went to a month or 2 back and I found a whole bunch of TI-99/4a cartridges, for like $2.50 a piece I think. I bought them all except for the doubles.

The cartridges were in the front by the VHS and DVDs, so then I went to the back, to the electronics, hoping to find an actual system, because I don't have one, and it would have been an awesome find.

However, no such luck. No system in site, not in the electronics or behind the glass case at the front where the N64s and stuff are.

The strangest part was that this Goodwill did not have a single computer-related item. Not even monitors, mice or keyboards. Every other Goodwill I've ever been to is swamped in the stuff. The only possible explanation is that they don't accept the stuff as donations, OR, they just threw it out.

Looking at pictures of the TI-99/4a, to the untrained eye it looks pretty much like an old keyboard.

Makes me wonder now if they actually got the system and just threw the thing away.

Of course, it's also quite possible that it just wasn't donated.

jb143

08-17-2010, 11:56 AM

Makes me wonder now if they actually got the system and just threw the thing away.

Of course, it's also quite possible that it just wasn't donated.

Another possibility is that it was still in the back waiting to be sorted. Though not donated in the first place is still a strong possibility. Or it could have been bought by someone earlier. Or sent to a different store. Or any other number of options. Maybe your store just doesn't sell old computer equipment so they sent to a store that does.

MissingNo_1231

08-17-2010, 02:59 PM

Another possibility is that it was still in the back waiting to be sorted. Though not donated in the first place is still a strong possibility. Or it could have been bought by someone earlier. Or sent to a different store. Or any other number of options. Maybe your store just doesn't sell old computer equipment so they sent to a store that does.

yeah, it's all possible. Either way, it's not a hard system to find on Ebay, so I'll manage to get one eventually.

DigitalSpace

08-28-2010, 08:52 AM

Here's the latest Value Village idiocy: I spotted a black Bible Adventures cart in the case. The price? $49.99.

/me facepalms

It's a safe bet that it'll stay there until the next blue tag 99-cent Monday.

On a more positive note, they seem to have realized that $6.99 is a pretty ludicrous asking price for most NES titles that tend to be common sightings at thrift stores. The other games that came in with Bible Adventures were marked at $4.99 each. Still not a great price, but it's an improvement. And I found another MST3K tape (Manos: Hands of Fate).

Dirkfunk

08-28-2010, 11:21 AM

A Goodwill near me recently had a bunch of NES stuff.

Every piece had a 13.99 sticker on it. I figured it was for the set. . . No.

Every piece was 13.99. . . the console, the rf, the adapter, Super Mario Bros, Kid Niki: Radical Ninja. . . . about 20 more games each one, 13.99.

Usually their NES games are 1.99 - 3.99.

I was pretty angry. . . since I bought a SNES console there for $5 and 2 good 64 games (Mario Kart and Ocarina of Time) for $2. . . that same day. This is the same Goodwill I got a Sega Master System with about 20 games, the light gun, 2 controllers for about 20 bucks.

There is another Goodwill that has some Genesis games. All sports games. $9.99. . . WTF!

I don't understand. They get their inventory for FREE. The prices should always be LOW that's the point of the store's existence!

atariboy

08-28-2010, 11:47 AM

I recently went to my local Goodwill and was excited to see Halloween and Texas Chain saw massacre behind the glass, I was stoked then I saw the price, it was $80 apeice. The other remaining cartriges were all priced differently from $3.99 for comat and pac-man to $19.99 for star trek and buck rogers. Needless to say I was very disappointed in this new pricing policy.

SegaAges

08-28-2010, 12:11 PM

Goodwill is always hit or miss with me. I got a fully working CD-I in box with the vcd adapter thing on it for 15 or 20 one time, and have seen a loose genny 3 with no chords for 30

DigitalSpace

09-02-2010, 08:51 AM

The Goodwill I checked out Monday night is pretty odd when it comes to electronics pricing. Most of the electronics are reasonably priced... but 90% of the games, consoles, and accessories range from "slightly overpriced," to "what the hell were they thinking when they came up with the price for this?"

The Intellivision I saw sitting on top of a display case is the latest example of the latter. $99.99 - just for the console and hookups. No games included (they had a couple commons in the case marked at $4.99 each).

Words fail me.

Jaruff

09-02-2010, 01:02 PM

Goodwill puts A LOT of their good stuff online now.

Take this for example:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=6465505

I was surprised to find that and grab it without any bid. You can search to see if your local Goodwill has an online account, and if they do, you now know where your potential finds are going.

My last trips to Goodwill have been disappointing. The only thing I found was a copy of Sonic Adventure (missing manual) mixed within the CD's for $0.25. I'm sure that was put out there by mistake, of course. The rest of the store was an absolute disgrace; stuff in the floor, plates with the CD's, CD's with plates, etc. That's the problem with Goodwill; it's a corporation. Instead of trying to clear inventory and actually help people, they want to maximize profits. That's why I prefer the smaller stores; they'll sell just about anything, and if prices are honestly high, you can sometimes talk them down. $5 and space for new stuff is better than $0 and no space.

@phreakindee - If something doesn't have a price on it, I'll usually stick a price tag on there. If an item has two price tags (which sometimes happens), I'll remove the highest one. There's only a few places where I'll do this because of extreme overpricing ($10 for a PC version of Tiger Woods Golf 2005!) and/or rude workers.

Smashed Brother

11-06-2010, 12:03 AM

The Goodwill near me has some ADHD-afflicted pricing schemes. One day, a Gamecube system will be $9.99; the next week they'll have another one priced at $24.99. One week PS2 games will be $2.99; a different week they'll be $5.99. Sometimes they'll use the stickers that are real easy to remove and other times they'll use the stickers that are nearly impossible to remove and which always leave residue behind. I guess it depends on the person who's doing the pricing that day.

But like earlier posters have stated, Goodwills are tax-shelters who receive their inventory for free, not only from people but from stores like Target and I believe that they should price things a bit lower.

ryborg

11-06-2010, 01:00 AM

Yep. I recently picked up a mint condition Wii Guitar Hero guitar for $5. A few days later, they had another one, completely beat to shit, for $15. Such is life at thrift stores.

Enigmus

11-06-2010, 01:18 AM

pseudonym

11-06-2010, 01:31 AM

Why would you risk jail over a computer or game, prototype or not? :roll:

The policy must only apply to the US. I've seen Apple II's and older Macs in goodwill stores from time to time. They still price them at $50 to $100 or so though.

wingzrow

11-06-2010, 01:41 AM

How does ANY charity stay in business? Can someone explain that to me?

Gameguy

11-06-2010, 03:14 AM

The policy must only apply to the US. I've seen Apple II's and older Macs in goodwill stores from time to time. They still price them at $50 to $100 or so though.
From the information I've found so far, it seems each location is independently run so it would vary for each location. Some are better run than others.

http://www.suite101.com/content/a-look-at-charity-goodwill-stores-a136811

Each retail store is independently owned and operated, and may have vastly different things they do with unsold items based on their community.

Buapo

11-06-2010, 03:51 AM

I was at a Salvation Army a number of months ago... and in their glass case was an NES, and a whole slew of games - and a lot of good titles! I asked them to open the case, and there was:

1. Zelda 1 & 2
2. Castlevania 1, 2, and 3.
4. Bionic Commando
5. Mega Man 3
6. Dragon Warrior
7. Final Fantasy

Among a few others, but I think they were common stuff that I had no interest in. These games were all marked $4.99. They had one copy of Super Mario Bros., and it was marked $9.99.

So, I grabbed all the games in my little list there (total of 9) and brought them up to the counter. I then proceeded to do the worst, most pathetic, paper-thin bargaining tactic - "I was wondering if they could go any lower on these... they're old video games, and I'll take a bunch of them off your hands." She looked at the stack, and said "Um... okay. Twenty dollars." Ecstatic, I quickly took out my debit card to pay, and she shook her head. "Nuh uh. That's not how this is going to work."

So, I went to the bank down the street, got cash, and came back.

She proceeded to wait until her manager was out of sight, handed me all the games (which were now in a plastic bag) and I gave her the $20... which she STUFFED INTO HER POCKET, NO JOKE.

If I was being tested that day, I failed. I walked out with the games. :angel: The thing is, $4.99 was a reasonable price for every single one of those titles.

The next week, they had Contra: Hard Corps in there for $4.99, loose. I bought that as well.

And, though it's not as interesting, I was rather SHOCKED to find a boxed (and in VERY nice shape) NES PowerPad for $5 at the actual Goodwill.

ryborg

11-06-2010, 04:02 PM

I then proceeded to do the worst, most pathetic, paper-thin bargaining tactic - "I was wondering if they could go any lower on these... they're old video games, and I'll take a bunch of them off your hands."

Lowballing/asking for a discount from a charity-driven thrift store is pretty pathetic.

Just so you know.

Tupin

11-06-2010, 04:23 PM

How does ANY charity stay in business? Can someone explain that to me?
Well, they pay nothing for their products. Because of that, they can sell them for cheap and still make a profit. They give money that they don't use to pay the bills or employees to charity.

I've noticed that mom and pop thrift stores tend to be better as they don't have employees, they have volunteers. They are usually cheaper.

Gameguy

11-06-2010, 09:44 PM

Lowballing/asking for a discount from a charity-driven thrift store is pretty pathetic.

Just so you know.
The games are sold as-is, untested and final sale. They should be cheaper than the going rate. I've got a few dead games from thrifts, though it was luckily from Value Village so I could exchange them(they're trying to stop that now by marking games as "no exhange").

I don't agree with how he got the games cheaper, basically bribing the cashier so he could walk out with the games unnoticed. Still it wasn't entirely Buapo's fault as he didn't know she would pocket the money directly, at least I hope he didn't know that ahead of time.

Buapo

11-06-2010, 10:28 PM

Lowballing/asking for a discount from a charity-driven thrift store is pretty pathetic.

Just so you know.

I didn't think it would actually work. And technically, it shouldn't have, because it ended up being a crooked deal. But yes, it was pathetic. To make it perfectly clear - I'm not proud of this.

Still it wasn't entirely Buapo's fault as he didn't know she would pocket the money directly, at least I hope he didn't know that ahead of time.

I didn't know until she stuffed the money in her pocket, though in hindsight I feel like I should have noticed. I was more excited about the good deal I was getting. I could have asked for my money back, and left the games, but I didn't. It happened so fast, and I made the morally wrong decision.

Though it's no excuse, I did purchase a Sega CD (in box) from the same place. It didn't work. So, that was a straight donation - no refunds.

ryborg

11-07-2010, 12:21 AM

The games are sold as-is, untested and final sale. They should be cheaper than the going rate.

All nine of those games would be gone within a few hours at $4.99 each at any thrift store in America. We're not talking about sports games and worthless commons like Captain Skyhawk or Top Gun that will sit around until the end of time.

Of course there's a minor chance an item you buy at a thrift will be fried, but that's the risk you take in exchange for a great price. Unwilling to take that chance? Buy from a retail store or ebay.

Gameguy

11-07-2010, 01:40 AM

All nine of those games would be gone within a few hours at $4.99 each at any thrift store in America. We're not talking about sports games and worthless commons like Captain Skyhawk or Top Gun that will sit around until the end of time.

Of course there's a minor chance an item you buy at a thrift will be fried, but that's the risk you take in exchange for a great price. Unwilling to take that chance? Buy from a retail store or ebay.
It's true that they're at reasonable prices, but none of those are rare and I would probably pass on all of them. I'd think about getting the Final Fantasy but I'd be nervous of the battery being dead, it would have to look near mint for me to get it. I agree that they'd sell for those prices, maybe not instantly but in a few days or weeks they would.

The last time I found NES games at Salvation Army they were priced $0.99 each with no tax(like 30 games, the best include Mega Man 3, Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania II, Bubble Bobble, Super C, Gargoyle's Quest II, etc). And a few weeks ago at Value Village I found copies of Zelda 1+2 with instructions as well as boxed/mostly complete copies of Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, Metroid, Super Mario 2, and several others for $1.99 each plus tax(I plan to keep most of the boxed titles :) ). To me $4.99 isn't a great price on common games unless they're complete, I can't even sell my spare loose Dragon Warriors for $5 each and I make sure everything is cleaned and tested.

I just hope they don't price games $4.99 or higher anymore, with Value Village it depends on the pricer and the mood they're in. I've passed on a copy of Bionic Commando at $4.99 maybe a year ago, I still don't have it but I'm not desperate for it. I personally won't pay much for games anymore unless I know they're rare or very valuable, not $4.99 if they're loose, untested and final sale. I know I was lucky finding those games as I just got the games before other collectors showed up and commented on them, but I now have boxes full of extras taking up space so I won't get more unless they're cheap.

emceelokey

11-08-2010, 10:35 PM

Lowballing/asking for a discount from a charity-driven thrift store is pretty pathetic.

Just so you know.

Haha, I actually stole a few Genesis games from a Goodwill before.

I was 17, and was pretty good kid, never really got into trouble and for some reason I figured I'd better start stealing stuff before I turned 18. There was also KayBee toy store that had no security cams and I had a friend that worked there that knew what was up so my friends and I would fill up bags worth of crap and just walk right out. Got that all out of my system by 18 though. Couldn't get games though because those were all locked up.

It is quite a rush though and I actually understand when people say they steal just for the rush of it and don't even really care what they steal.

Glitch695

11-11-2010, 03:45 PM

Not sure just HOW accurate this is, but a friend of mine was doing some research into local thrift stores such as Vincent De Paul, Salvation Army, and Goodwill, and found out some pretty shocking stuff.
It seems that a good amount of the people Goodwill employs are paid not with money made at the store, but state tax dollars. They employ certain disabled people for some requisite amount of hours, and in giving these people a job they take them off of some state aid list that would then end up paying them (the now employed disabled people) a ridiculous amount for housing and cost of living. So the government is now spending less and in turn gives Goodwill tax money to pay for their salary, which is in most cases minimum wage.
This same tax payoff also applies to people with criminal records who are placed there through some kind of rehabilitation program that guarantees them a job, and again, Goodwill free money and free labor.
The real question then becomes 'where is this money going?', and their answer is always back to the community. But Goodwill have the highest paid board of directors out of any charity organization in the Midwest, apparently, and their CEO makes tons of money and in fact a few years back there was a bit of a scandal about this and he had to take a public pay cut.
It seems that their 'job education programs' offered to disabled people and people with questionable backgrounds have an abysmal rate of success when applied to any job other than stocking the shelves at Goodwill, which when you think about it makes perfect sense, because why give up free employees?
On a more personal note, I do find it ridiculous that ShopGoodWill went away only for each individual store to open their own Ebay account under, in many cases, obfuscated names and even fake addresses. Yes, they get the product free, and yes, I get pissed off that they have the audacity to ask $29.99 for Saturn sports games (Menomonee Falls location) or $59.99 for a Dreamcast or N64 (Waukesha location). I recall the Neo Geo that was sold on ShopGoodWill as a 'Sega System' that ended up selling for over $800 from the Waukesha store by my house, and how pissed I was that they A- didn't even know what the hell it was but put it on there anyways, and B- didn't give someone who went there daily between classes the chance to buy it first. How are they helping the community by selling locally donated product to someone in California instead of letting a local buy it?
Anyways, I'll try to dig out his findings and see about posting more of them, but I CAN say that if you ever plan to donate anything, it should be to Vincent de Paul or Salvation Army and NOT to Goodwill. St. Vinny's and most Salavation Army's are on a volunteer basis, and many are church run but not funded through the church's, and do not benefit from their tax breaks.

And an edit here I totally forgot about, one of the Goodwills by me is currently selling Gucci handbags for, get ready- $130 each.

Ryaan1234

11-11-2010, 04:21 PM

And an edit here I totally forgot about, one of the Goodwills by me is currently selling Gucci handbags for, get ready- $130 each.
Oooooh, you want to hear about underhanded? I have a local Goodwill that puts FAKE Louis Vuitton bags in their bid case, knowing they are fake. They would put them in the case with the item description reading "LV Purse" and people would spend good money on those things! They always seemed to end in the $100+ range. I know they are fake because I've looked at one of those purses, and said right to a lady working there (the one showing me the item) "This is fake" and she told me that she agreed and pointed out why it was fake (which I had already noticed).

Of course, there's ANOTHER local Goodwill that isn't exactly in the right, morally. This one put 2 FAKE Rolex watches in the bid case, with each one reading "Rolex Watch. We believe it to be real". I looked at them and they were really cheaply made, with no weight at all to them, and one even said Made in China on back. Goodwill started each one at $100 and someone had already bid on one.

I know, it serves the bidder right for not knowing a fake item, but I find Goodwill representing fake purses and watches as real and selling them as such to be completely despicable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's experienced this happening. (Although I hope it doesn't happen elsewhere something tells me it does.)

bangtango

11-11-2010, 04:27 PM

wah wah wah, you guys sound like a bunch of butthurt babies.

I'm sure you all would pass up a huge stack of rare factory sealed games you already owned at a thrift FOR THE GOOD OF THE HOBBY AND OH ALSO HAVE I MENTIONED HOW VIRTUOUS I AM?

If you want the good stuff at thrifts, find out when they restock and go there then. It's not hard; most stores restock around the same times on the same days. Hell, be nice to the old ladies and ask if they have any video game stuff in the back that's not ready to be shelved yet.

Those guys also assume they are the only ones who regularly go to a thrift store and come up empty while everyone else who goes to the same store always makes out like a bandit.

Doesn't work that way. If you went into the store and didn't find anything, then there are probably at least 5-10 other guys who were also in before you that same day or the day before looking for R8 NES games and didn't find shit.

And that is what happens when people put all their eggs in one basket and go to thrift stores only to look at video games and not much else.

On days I come up "empty" on video games, I still find books I've been dying to read, plug-and-play systems over in "toys", music albums I've been wanting to get ahold of, movies I've been wanting to get ahold of and even occasional audio, video or computer equipment I've needed for one reason or another.

Porksta

11-11-2010, 04:37 PM

A thrift store near me actually got raided because a few of the kiosks that they rent out to were selling fakes. $15000 in merchandise I believe was taken.

bangtango

11-11-2010, 04:44 PM

Lowballing/asking for a discount from a charity-driven thrift store is pretty pathetic.

Just so you know.

I agree.

Yet a lot of people "assume" that Goodwill and Salvation Army stores do business the exact same way that a yard saler, flea market vendor or pawn shop does, just because they all happen to sell "used" product that somebody else didn't want anymore.

The three or four times I've actually seen people try to name their own price at a Goodwill store, whatever clerk they pulled this on usually made a fool out of them and reminded them that Goodwill doesn't do things that way.

The chick who sold a stack of NES games for $20 cash is lucky she wasn't caught. Not just for pocketing the cash, which is the worst part, but because as Ryborg mentioned in another post, sooner or later someone was going to come along and gladly pay $5 a title for any of those games.

And the manager there would be none too happy about items getting sold for less than the marked price.

Gameguy

11-11-2010, 06:05 PM

The Salvation Army near me has a pile of bootleg PS2 games priced about the same as regular games, I guess it's ok to sell bootlegs as long as it's for charity. Why don't thrifts just hire a bunch of pick pockets to steal customers wallets, as long as the money goes to charity it should be ok. There seems to be some people saying it's ok for them to gouge people because it's for charity, I really don't see it that way.

I would think the main reason why people go to thrift stores is because they don't have a lot of money to spend, why would anyone waste so much time constantly going to thrift stores on the slim chance they happen to have anything good if it's going to be priced around the going rate? If you're going to buy something for the going price just buy it online and be done with it.

Last week the Value Village near me got a bunch of electronic stuff with Goodwill stickers plastered on everything, now the new prices are less than half of the Goodwill prices. I guess Goodwill figured they might as well sell the stuff to Value Village since it won't sell at their stores. I haven't found anything well priced at Goodwill in years.

fairyland

11-21-2010, 06:20 PM

Some craziness I just seen on Saturday at my Goodwill. $15.99 Atari 2600 carts with booklets. No idea how much for the ones without books. They had a pile of Atari booklets for $2.99 each, including those pack-in catalogs. I seriously wonder how can any person honestly believe they are going to sell anything at these prices? The games are dated 10/18, which makes them a month old, so obviously they made a horrible mistake with their pricing. They had a couple 50% off sales since then and they still did not sell. They should fire the person that prices these things as this store always has a history of insanely high prices and stuff hanging around for months and months.

The other thing that is odd about my Goodwill is that their inventory is about 75% cast offs from Target and they price most of it at near retail price. Is Goodwill Target's personal scratch and dent store or something?

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/576/img20101120132333.th.jpg (http://img703.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132333.jpg/)

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/3423/img20101120132350.th.jpg (http://img818.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132350.jpg/)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/4359/img20101120132401.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132401.jpg/)

ryborg

11-21-2010, 07:27 PM

And that is what happens when people put all their eggs in one basket and go to thrift stores only to look at video games and not much else.

Yeah exactly. Hell, video games aren't even in the top five for reasons I go to the thrift stores anymore. They are, in order: books, music (cds/vinyl), vintage t-shirts, art and other bullshit to put on the walls of my house, and old board games. If I happen to see some old video games with value, great, but at this point, I pretty much own everything I really want. Most everything I've bought recently has gone to friends, family or ebay.

Is Goodwill Target's personal scratch and dent store or something?

Short answer, yes. I've bought band-aids and dish soap from GW recently. Not exactly things you would expect to find in a thrift. The packaging was a little dinged, but they were still factory sealed.

Emperor Megas

11-21-2010, 08:57 PM

Some craziness I just seen on Saturday at my Goodwill. $15.99 Atari 2600 carts with booklets. No idea how much for the ones without books. They had a pile of Atari booklets for $2.99 each, including those pack-in catalogs.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/576/img20101120132333.th.jpg (http://img703.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132333.jpg/)

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/3423/img20101120132350.th.jpg (http://img818.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132350.jpg/)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/4359/img20101120132401.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/i/img20101120132401.jpg/)Madness! :yipes:

bangtango

11-23-2010, 02:42 PM

Yeah exactly. Hell, video games aren't even in the top five for reasons I go to the thrift stores anymore. They are, in order: books, music (cds/vinyl), vintage t-shirts, art and other bullshit to put on the walls of my house, and old board games. If I happen to see some old video games with value, great, but at this point, I pretty much own everything I really want. Most everything I've bought recently has gone to friends, family or ebay.

Just off the bat, it would seem like a crapshoot buying board games there sometimes, mostly because of missing pieces and all. Does that tend to happen a lot?

The only board game I've really bought on a regular basis at Goodwill is the variations of Monopoly because at worst, you can always take two sets that are each missing some pieces and "combine" the money, houses, hotels, tokens or cards to complete it.

What I like is seeing people in the Ebay subforums who only sell video games complaining about never making any serious money when on a weekly basis they pass up an ungodly amount of other stuff or "junk" (in their opinion) in a Goodwill store that would keep the cash flowing in when games are moving slow.

A few months ago I found a treasure trove of unused/new, never worn NFL jerseys with the store tags still on them. A Mark Brunell Jags jersey, a Keyshawn Johnson Bucs jersey, an Eddie George Titans jersey and a Reggie White Packers jersey. Not to sell, though, those were for me to wear.

ryborg

11-23-2010, 07:04 PM

Just off the bat, it would seem like a crapshoot buying board games there sometimes, mostly because of missing pieces and all. Does that tend to happen a lot?

I inspect every game I might buy, when possible. Some stores tape up the boxes before they put them on the shelves, which means I'll pass unless it's something unbelievably rare. For some of those old Avalon Hill war games with hundreds of tiny pieces, yeah, it's kind of a crapshoot, but you can usually tell if a lot of pieces are gone. It's also not the hardest thing in the world to make new ones.

Not to sell, though, those were for me to wear.

Good, because those are all worthless. Except for Reggie White, you can't give away jerseys of those other guys.

bangtango

11-24-2010, 11:49 AM

Good, because those are all worthless. Except for Reggie White, you can't give away jerseys of those other guys.

I believe that. As a rabid football fan who follows all of the teams in the NFL, I just couldn't resist at $3 a pop. Running around in a Mark Brunell Jaguars jersey is definitely a conversation starter for some of my friends who do fantasy every year (I don't).

But it always surprises me how many so-called "big football fans" have no idea who Green Bay Packers "White" or Titans "George" is when I wear those jerseys. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked "Who's White?" or "Who's George?" I could buy a jersey or two from you :roll:

I did have one decent Goodwill find a few days ago, though. "Fat" PS2 with all the hook-ups, first party controller, first party memory card and a random game for $15. Works great. I'd say somebody went and bought a PS3 or even a slim PS2 and dumped their old system. Was marked $29.99 but I happened to find it with a red tag on the "red tag half price" sale. Worth about $15 just for the memory card, controller and hookups alone.

KingYoshi

11-26-2010, 07:25 PM

Damn, these are some jankity Goodwill stories. I've never saw a game priced over 3.00 bucks at the one around here. I got a PS1 console the other day for 2.95 The only problem is, small town and not a whole lot of game merch being donated.

peeingas

12-13-2010, 09:14 PM

Oooooh, you want to hear about underhanded? I have a local Goodwill that puts FAKE Louis Vuitton bags in their bid case, knowing they are fake. They would put them in the case with the item description reading "LV Purse" and people would spend good money on those things! They always seemed to end in the $100+ range. I know they are fake because I've looked at one of those purses, and said right to a lady working there (the one showing me the item) "This is fake" and she told me that she agreed and pointed out why it was fake (which I had already noticed).

Of course, there's ANOTHER local Goodwill that isn't exactly in the right, morally. This one put 2 FAKE Rolex watches in the bid case, with each one reading "Rolex Watch. We believe it to be real". I looked at them and they were really cheaply made, with no weight at all to them, and one even said Made in China on back. Goodwill started each one at $100 and someone had already bid on one.

I know, it serves the bidder right for not knowing a fake item, but I find Goodwill representing fake purses and watches as real and selling them as such to be completely despicable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's experienced this happening. (Although I hope it doesn't happen elsewhere something tells me it does.)

The fact that they have a "bid case" should have raised caution flags with you.

Jimmy Yakapucci

12-15-2010, 05:20 PM

One thing that really gets me about my local Goodwill is that they have set prices for categories of stuff. All DVDs are $3.33 and all CDs are $3.00. This includes the DVDs that come direct from the Dollar Tree with the price stickers still on them. Also, I get a kick out of seeing paperback books with little 25 or 50 cent price stickers on them from someone's yard sale and also have the Goodwill's $1.67 price sticker on there as well.

JY

Ryaan1234

12-15-2010, 05:51 PM

The fact that they have a "bid case" should have raised caution flags with you.

I'm not sure why that should raise caution. All of my local, and even the Goodwills in the nearby big cities (Austin, Roundrock, Dallas, etc) have auction cases in their stores, heck I went to one in Roundrock that had a whole auction area. At the time they had an Elvis pinball machine up for auction! They put the antique-y sort of stuff and the things the employees think have value in them, and an ongoing auction is held in the cases every week which ends Saturday. I can't say I've ever bought anything from the cases in recent years though. 3-5 years ago it was actually possible to get deals from the cases, but lately the only things I've seen in them are fake purses (and watches) and crap that belongs in antique stores.

Emperor Megas

12-15-2010, 06:00 PM

I've never heard of Goodwill stores having auction cases until now. I would have been suspect as well, honestly.

Jaruff

12-15-2010, 06:04 PM

Just off the bat, it would seem like a crapshoot buying board games there sometimes, mostly because of missing pieces and all. Does that tend to happen a lot?

The only board game I've really bought on a regular basis at Goodwill is the variations of Monopoly because at worst, you can always take two sets that are each missing some pieces and "combine" the money, houses, hotels, tokens or cards to complete it.

What I like is seeing people in the Ebay subforums who only sell video games complaining about never making any serious money when on a weekly basis they pass up an ungodly amount of other stuff or "junk" (in their opinion) in a Goodwill store that would keep the cash flowing in when games are moving slow.

A few months ago I found a treasure trove of unused/new, never worn NFL jerseys with the store tags still on them. A Mark Brunell Jags jersey, a Keyshawn Johnson Bucs jersey, an Eddie George Titans jersey and a Reggie White Packers jersey. Not to sell, though, those were for me to wear.

Yea, that makes me laugh too. I've learned to do my research and take chances on other things. It always helps to have a little extra money to devote to a new game.

Damn, these are some jankity Goodwill stories. I've never saw a game priced over 3.00 bucks at the one around here. I got a PS1 console the other day for 2.95 The only problem is, small town and not a whole lot of game merch being donated.

Try $14.99 for a LOOSE PlayStation 1. LOL

I'm also in a small area so game finds are rather hard. Found a 3DO once (how in the hell I have no idea) and I can find some PS2/PS1 games every once in a while. If I want old Nintendo/Sega stuff, I have to hit the yard sales or flea markets.

I've never heard of Goodwill stores having auction cases until now. I would have been suspect as well, honestly.

http://shopgoodwill.com

It's not limited to cases anymore. But, in their defense, I found a great Osborne (early 80's) computer on there once for $40 and sold it on eBay for $100 after playing with it for a few hours. If you really look, you can find some great obscure deals when people mess up listing descriptions.

pseudonym

12-16-2010, 01:46 AM

I've seen auctions cases too. They're usually filled with "old lady antiques" and not of any real interest to me.

portnoyd

12-16-2010, 07:31 AM

I decided to stop going to Goodwills altogether. Goodwill Hunter's godly Goodwill has to be a total illusion. Absolutely no chance to get anything even at a fair price. They had 2 two slot Wii mote chargers which we already have one of. I was like 'Sweet, I can get one for the other two'.

Not so fast. The unopened one? $40. The opened one? $30. Brand new price from Gamestop? $25.

Fuck them. I really don't give a shit if you're helping the community. At this point, you are gouging. With these kind of prices, lowballing isn't pathetic; it's necessary just to pay going rate for things.

BetaWolf47

12-16-2010, 10:20 AM

Goodwill is actually a half-decent place for modern PC games. I just got Splinter Cell Conviction, Borderlands, Dawn of War 2, Wolfenstein, and Metro 2033 there for $5 apiece. Most of those retail $20+. Heck, Best Buy still sells Metro for $50.

The trick is not to limit yourself. If you go in and don't see video games, look at the music and movies. Found some great 20th century animated films I've been dying to see for chump change. Sometimes you'll actually see video games shelved with them. If you still don't see anything there, check out the toys section.

That's my routine. Head straight for the music and movies section and look for video games. If there's no games, look for some good movies. If there's no good movies, check out the toys. Take a quick scan of the books section for stuff that might have gotten mixed in there, and then leave. I usually see something halfway decent.